Apple continues to work on a separate classical music app, according to discovered user @iSWUpdates code changes in iOS 16.3 Release Candidate. The software update is in its final beta phase and is expected to be released to the public next week, but it’s not yet clear if the app itself will be released or when.
For example, Apple changed the line of text that would appear in the default Music app on the iPhone from “A Shortcut to Apple Classical” to “Open in Apple Music Classical,” suggesting the company had changed the name of the app, at least tentatively. Another line of code says “Meet this artist in an app designed for classical music.”
In August 2021, Apple announced that it had acquired the classical music service Primephonic and planned to release a dedicated app in 2022, but it still hasn’t arrived, and Apple remains silent on its plans. Primephonic shut down in September 2021 and its subscribers received a free six-month subscription to Apple Music.
“Apple Music plans to launch a dedicated classical music app next year that combines the fan-favorite Primephonic user interface with additional features,” Apple said in a 2021 press release.
Apple promised that Primephonic’s best features will be included in the app, including “improved composer and repertoire browsing and search capabilities” and “detailed display of classical music metadata.”
Hidden links to a classical music app were found in Apple Music for Android beta and iOS 15.5 beta last year. More references to the application were found in the XML file on Apple’s servers.
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